


Yearbook

by Rahmi



Series: Flames [2]
Category: Sky High (2005)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Mother-Son Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-08-28
Updated: 2008-08-28
Packaged: 2017-11-28 08:40:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/672441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rahmi/pseuds/Rahmi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Josie hates class reunions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Yearbook

Josie's going to find a way to burn Steve's yearbooks. She glances down at Will, whose face is red, screwed up while he wails his little lungs out, and mentally curses Steve for leaving her alone with him. Will likes to fly and he loves to be in his father's arms, but he's cutting a tooth and difficult right now and Steve hadn't listened when she said they should stay home instead of going to their high school reunion.   
  
The wails suddenly cut off. Josie, twenty feet away from the nearest person and blushing to the roots of her hair, lets out a breath and wonders if Harry had pity on her and put Will to sleep.   
  
Then she realizes that her leg is suddenly too warm for the spring air and looks down.   
  
There's a little boy crouched next to Will, big dark eyes and red streaks in his brown hair; he can't be more than two. And there's fire dancing across his fingertips.   
  
"No cryin', baby," the boy says, turning over his hands so the fire flows from his knuckles to his palms. Will makes a delighted baby noise, squealing, and reaches out to touch. The boy reacts before Josie can, pulling his little hands away from Will's questing ones quickly enough that the fire leaves blurred afterimages Will grabs at eagerly.   
  
"'s hot," the boy mutters seriously, tucking his hands behind his back. He gives Will a stern look. "No touching, kay?"   
  
Her baby babbles quietly back and the other boy reluctantly brings his arms back around. Fire flickers outwards from the boy's hands and arms, all the way up to his shoulders, and then pulls in so it's concentrated in a single small palm. "'s a ball," the boy says, softly, face scrunched up in concentration, crouching down so he can peer into Will's car seat, "Daddy throws, sometimes."   
  
Barron Battle's son, Josie realizes suddenly. There'd been no other pyro at school around their time (though Josie's still not sure if Barron is a pyrotech or a pyrokinetic, or, for all she knows, a pyromancer. She never did get along with him). Which made his mom... there. Josie waves a hand at Indestructo and points down when she has her attention; Will's entire car seat is glowing with orange light, fire twining between the other boy's hands as he whispers half-formed words to her son.   
  
Evelyn Peace's eyes widen and then crinkle in understanding. "I'm so sorry, Josie," Evie says as she jogs up, "He got away from me."   
  
The boy looks up at the sound of his mother's voice and smiles. "Mommy, look! Baby!"   
  
Evie crosses her arms over her chest. "What have we told you about using your powers?" She exchanges a quick wink with Josie when the boy guiltily lets the fire die out; Will lets out a thin, unhappy murmur, so Josie bends unbuckle him and pick him up before he starts screaming again.   
  
"Didn't let him burn," the little boy says, holding his own arms up to his mother, "Was careful, Mommy."   
  
"I'm sure you were, Warren, but you're not supposed to be doing it." Evie reaches down to scoop him up anyway and Will lets out the happy shriek and reaches for him as soon as he's in range again. Warren looks up at his mother and pouts before turning back to Will.   
  
"No more fire, baby. Mommy here." Will doesn't seem to care; he reaches out and grips Warren's arms with insistent little fingers, Josie notes with amusement. Warren lets him, leaning almost completely out of his mother's arms so that Will can tug on his fingers.   
  
There's an awkward few seconds where Josie stares at Evie and Evie stares at Josie and Warren and Will play a game only understandable to people under the age of ancient. Josie had never hung around in the circles Evie moved through, though she's sure Steve did.   
  
In desperation, she finally spits out, "How's Barron?" even though she'd never, ever liked the man. She hopes Warren takes after his mother in everything but power.   
  
Wrong question, Josie decides, when Evie's entire face drops and she looks away. "He's not here tonight. He said he had some heroing to do, I don't," she catches herself, "I don't know," Evie says more slowly, "He's been... distant lately." She tightens her arms around Warren until the boy squeaks in alarm, one tiny fist pulling out Will's grip and bursting into flames.   
  
Josie makes a noise of protest in the back of her throat, tucking Will firmly into her chest and automatically reaching out in the same motion. She's got a half notion of making sure the other boy doesn't get hurt before she checks that instinct and tells herself that this boy has nothing to fear from fire, that she'd just watched him play with it a few moments before. Evie, on the other hand, just turns, holds her son out at arm's length the instant he starts flaming and gives him a stern look.   
  
"Off," she says, voice low and commanding.   
  
The fire dies. Warren kicks his feet in the air twice before Evie sets him back on her hip; he pulls a face at Will, watching avidly from Josie's own arms, and Will giggles happily.   
  
"He's got amazing control for being, what, two?" Josie asks. She doesn't want to go back to their old conversation, might as well start a new one.   
  
Warren tilts his head to look at her, measuring her with dark eyes, then says, "Not baby."   
  
Evie ignores him. "He'll be three in a few months. To be honest," she says, leaning in a little closer so that Warren can happily pat Will's wispy fine hair with pudgy hands, "I was hoping he'd inherent my powers. Instant healing would come in handy for a little boy."   
  
They get into a discussion about the accident prone nature of little boys long enough that Warren's head starts to nod and Will is drooling baby spit all over Josie's nicest shirt. Steve bellows out her name, apparently finally done reminiscing, and Josie rolls her eyes.   
  
"Nice talking to you, Jetstream," Evie says easily, one hand coming up to steady Warren's head on her shoulder.   
  
"You too, Indestructo."   
  
Will wakes up enough to let out a fearsome wail when Evie walks away with his new best friend.

* * *

Her son drags home Warren Peace halfway through his freshman year.   
  
Josie smothers a laugh behind her hand when she catches him poking at the other boy until he grudgingly powers up in her living room. The other kids, Magenta and Layla, Ethan and Zach, all pull slightly away from Warren when he does it, but they don't really look up from their homework.   
  
Will's pretty much indestructible himself by this point, and this time, when he reaches out to touch the fire crawling along Warren's arms, Warren lets him.


End file.
